Toym Imao has always used his art to engage, question, and inspire, he has consistently imaged, both publicly and privately, his deep love for the motherland — that personification of all that is good in our history, our culture, our nation. Known mostly for his large-scale public art, his work follows the tradition of the grand storytellers of the country- Guillermo Tolentino, Napoleon Abueva, Eduardo Castrillo, who tap the narratives of nationalism in their works.
They remind us, at opportune times, of the threats that loom over our culture, nation, and society. He engages with civil society institutions — museums like the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, schools like the University of the Philippines and Far Eastern University, and even hospitals like the Philippine General Hospital, to mount his public installations whenever he believes there is a threat to our freedom, our values, or our collective memory; indeed to the very essence of our being Filipino.
“Analog Childhood,” Toym Imao’s third solo exhibition at Art Lounge Manila is consistent with this advocacy. Comprising of over forty tabletop sculptures and paintings, Toym’s works are inspired by his childhood recollection of censorship by an authoritarian regime when his favorite Super Robot cartoons – Voltes V, Daimos, and Mazinger Z among them — as well as video arcades, were cancelled for their alleged bad effects on the minds of the youth.
The playful imagery belies the experience of authoritarianism and a child’s imaginative attempts at creating a story of the triumph of good over evil, expressed in the analog aesthetics of Atari and the cartoon characters and symbols of his beloved Super Robots. Coinciding with the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of Martial Law, this exhibit is a timely attempt of us to take stock of the events which mark our time.
As Toym puts it, “It has been challenging for visual artists over the past several years. There’s something like déjí vu as the state has been flexing its muscles over an allied profession in truth-saying, the media. Media outfits and practitioners are being closed down or put behind bars. As artists, we are involved in creating a wonderful lie to help people find the truth. As artists, we must reflect the spirit of our times. I hope that my artist-friends are sensitive about what is happening here and around the world. At some point, we have to think about what is happening. We will have to stand up and be heard.”
“Analog Childhood” by Toym Imao will be on view until September 15, 2022 at the Art Lounge Manila in The Podium, GF, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila.
